Restricted free-agent forward Joe Ingles has agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract to stay with the Utah Jazz, Ingles told ESPN.
Ingles' contract punctuates a spectacular career climb, from eight years as an overseas player, undrafted in the NBA, and finally to a guaranteed deal of $13 million a year.
Ingles' contract, a reward for developing into an indispensable role player for the Jazz, delivers the franchise momentum marching into the Jazz's free-agent meeting on Monday with All-Star forward Gordon Hayward in Salt Lake City. Hayward met with the Miami Heat on Saturday, and he planned to meet with the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Ingles, 29, and Hayward, 27, are close friends, and they share an agent, Mark Bartelstein, of Priority Sports.
Ingles averaged 7.1 points and shot 44 percent from the 3-point line last season for the Jazz, who advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.
Re-signing Ingles and trading for point guard Ricky Rubio were significant parts of the Jazz's plan to assemble a roster that appeals to Hayward.
Utah now has $94 million in guaranteed contracts (not including Boris Diaw's $7.5 million non-guaranteed contract) with Ingles' new deal.
Ingles has a $4.18 million cap hold (versus a $11.6 million cap hit), giving the Jazz the option to use the hold against the cap in case Utah needs to create room.
ESPN's Bobby Marks contributed to this report.
